


Something Unspoken

by Swankyo0



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Character Study, First Time, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-11
Updated: 2010-08-11
Packaged: 2017-10-11 01:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/106667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swankyo0/pseuds/Swankyo0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronon doesn't talk much. Rodney never stops talking, but he doesn't say much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Unspoken

Ronon doesn't talk much. Rodney never stops talking, but he doesn't say much. It works for them.

Ronon told Rodney about Kell, the Taskmaster and traitor, and Rodney heard all the things he didn't say about how he loved Kell like a father and how it was the hardest thing Ronon had ever done to kill him. Ronon heard all about Rodney's parents, his father's laughable theories and his mother's many dreams of what her son would become, and though Rodney never said it, Ronon heard how Rodney had never felt good enough to be loved as he was.

Rodney prattled on and on about the science teams, and every time one of the lost scientists came up Ronon could see the bone-deep ache in Rodney's eyes for another soul lost, another person he should have known better, another life he should have worked faster to save. Ronon never spoke of Tyre, Rakai, and Ara, and only once of Marika and Hemi, but the guilt that Rodney saw in Ronon's eyes for weeks afterwords was something Rodney could understand perfectly.

Rodney knows that Ronon was as good as married once, even though Ronon's never told him. Ronon heard when Rodney didn't say he'd had his heart broken when his fiancée broke it off with him two weeks into grad school, before he had even had a chance to tell anyone.

Rodney never thanks Ronon when he visits the lab, but Ronon can see the grateful slump to Rodney's shoulders when he silently slips into a chair, just enough of an imposing distraction to the genius to keep his mind from being completely consumed by his work all the time. Ronon doesn't thank Rodney when he shows up at the practice rooms on Ronon's worst days, to drag him out his past and back to the here and now of Atlantis over soggy noodles in the mess and meaningless chatter.

They both pretend to be drunk the first time it happens, pretend that they aren't cataloging every kiss and touch and sound. In the harsh light of the morning, they pretend not to remember and they pretend that doesn't bother them.

It's months before Ronon 'hears' Rodney again. Months of groping in transporters and sneaking out of each other's rooms late at night. Months of not talking and not saying and _pretending_. They're sticky and sated on Rodney's narrow bed, carefully and amazingly not touching when Rodney's words come barreling back into Ronon's mind.

It's in the tight muscles of Rodney's back, the curl of his shoulders as he rolls away from Ronon to stare at the wall, the measured and practiced breathing that Rodney must be concentrating very hard on after so much groaning and panting and moaning- _stay, stay, stay, stay_\- and Ronon can't believe he's missed it for so long. Ronon turns into Rodney's back, wrapping one arm around his waist and pulling Rodney's tightly wound body close against his chest. Rodney laces his fingers through Ronon's, squeezing slightly and relaxing into the touch.

"Stay," Rodney breathes, and Ronon can tell that he wants to keep talking, wants to break the silence and tension with meaningless words, but Ronon doesn't talk much and Rodney never stops talking and sometimes they miss all the important things that aren't said.

"Yeah," Ronon replies, brushing a soft kiss to the back of Rodney's shoulder. This is important. This has to be said. "I'm staying."

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** The boys are not mine, they belong to their respective owners, who are not me. I make no money off of this, and I promise that once I am done playing I will return them relatively unharmed...


End file.
